Madam Chair, the hon. member makes a very important point around the importance of research. The CIHR is the successor research institution from the Medical Research Council of Canada. In fact it takes a new approach, an approach that is being modelled around the world. It is not only strictly medical research as traditionally understood. It brings together, for example, social scientists, the integration of the social sciences with biomedical research and with economic research. We are getting a better sense of what we mean by health and health care, and what is important to have a health society.
We are also making phenomenal progress in attracting bright Canadians back to this country and keeping the best here in our universities and our research institutes to do great work like the work that was done in this country on SARS.
For example, work is being done by one of the institutes as it relates to the whole question of metabolism, healthy body weights and obesity. It is so easy to say that we know we should eat good things and exercise but that is not good enough. What does that mean in terms of individuals? What does it mean for individual categories of people within our society? In particular, what does it mean for young people? The research being done in areas of body weight and obesity will be so important for our future health and our ability to sustain our health care system.
We can choose virtually any area in Canada today and the CIHR has an institute working in that area, and the work is groundbreaking and world class.